Credit-slip-authorizing apparatus.



Patented Nw, 1S,

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mamma FIG 5111.2@ fx oI/' HERBERT G, DORSEY ARTHURU. KxRsHNERf mmm@ AND'STAMPING -ALmNG CQMMDN LAM H. vom? AND A. cE MSHNER.

CREDI SLi? AUTHOEIZING APPARAUS. v

APPLICATION FILED AE. 2 19H3. V t l Patented Nev, l i919.

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CHEDH SLi-P AUTHUBl-ZING APPARATUS. APPLICATION man MAR. 2. 191s. 1 1 1 $1321,900, Patented NOV. 18, 1919.

i2 SHEETS-SHEET Il H. G. DORSEY AND A. C. KIIISHNER.

CREDIT SLIP AUTHORIZING APPARATUS..

APPLICATION FILED MAR. ZI 1916.

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Patented Nov.

H. G. DORSEY AND A. C. KIHSHNER. CREDIT SUP AuHomzmG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAH. 2. 1916.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919. l

. 12 SHEETS-SHEE 12.

Hoz/mm3@ l' UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFFioE.

HERBERT G. DORSEY AND ARTHUR C. KIRSHNER, OF DAYTON, OHIO,FASSIGNORS TO THE NATIONAL CASH REGISTER COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO, (INCORPORATED IN 1906.)

CREDIT-SLIP-AUTHORIZING APPARATUS.

Application filed March 2, 1916.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, HERBERT G. DoRsEY and ARTHUR C. KiRsrrNnR, citizens ot' the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State oi Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Credit-Slip-Authorizing Apparatus, of which we declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to store service systems and has t'or its main object to provide mechanism tor assisting' in the authorization of credit sales.

ln many commercial houses the problem ot compelling sales people to secure proper authorization bet'ore making a sale on credit is a very important one. It is obviously unsafe in most cases to trust the judgment of the clerks as to whether credit should be allowed and to'coinpel a message being sent to some credit man who is authorized to allow credit is a lengthy and tedious proceeding. In many cases an improvement has been made by using a telephone over which the credit man is communicated with, but even in such cases there is nothing to show thatthe credit man authorized anyv particular transaction. he invention is designed, therefore, to obviate this difficulty by providing means `t'or making a permanent record on sales slips to authorize ci'cdit in particular cases and so arranging the means that it can be operated only l. y the credit man and not by the clerk. To be more specific, the telephone is used as a means of communication between the. clerk and the credit man so that both the identit/ v of the customer and the amount ot the purchase may be made known to thel latter, and an electrically operated sta-mp located at the clerks station is provided to stamp an inserted sales slip, the stamp being operated by the credit man through electrical connections to the credit mans station.

Another object ol1 this invention is to provide means at the clerks stations Jfor selecting any desired one of a plurality ot' credit men, each credit man being provided with individual means for ringing the clerks, communicating with the clerks and operating the stamps.

Another object of this invention is to pro- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

Serial No. 81,666.

vide means whereby one credit man vmay take care of the switchboards of a plurality of credit men and handle the calls received on the switchboards by his own telephone set, ring key, and stamp controlling means. In such case the credit man on duty completes the line connections to the various clerks telephones and stamping devices at the switchboards receiving the particular calls but handles the calls by using his own ring key, telephone set and stamp controlling 'means vAnother object of this invention is to provide means whereby the calls ordinaril \Y handled at the switchboard of a credit man are transferred to the switchboard of another credit man. When the calls are transferred from one switchboard to another the credit man at the latter makes all the line connections at his own switchboard as well as handles all the calls by his own telephone set. stamp controlling means and ring key.

A still further object of the invention is to arrange the stamps and a signal for indicating the absence or presence of the slip to be stamped in series for operating thc signal and provide means for excluding the signal from the circuit to operate the stamp.

lith these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel teatures of construction and combinations oi parts, the essential elements ot' which are set-forth in appended claims, and a preferred form of embodiment. of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form part ot the specication.

Of said drawings Figure l is a reduced perspective View of the clerks tele )hone and stam ing dethe stamping device with the cabinet and the solenoid of the stamp shown in cross section.

Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical sectio taken'alon'g the rightl hand side of the bank ofkeys of the stamping device and looking Y.

toward the left.

y Fig. 7 is a left hand side elevation of the stamping device with the cabinet shown in cross section. Y

- Fig. 8 is a detail view of the punching mechanism and platen and the plate or frame supporting the same.

Fig. 9 is a detail transverse vertical section .taken on the line. 9-9 of Fig. 8 and looking in the 'direction ofY the arrows. Y

Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. 7 and looking in the direction 'of the arrows. l

Fig. 11 is a detail `view of a clerks telephone hook partly broken away, and. the supporting means therefor.

Fig. 12 is a top plan view .of the dating device and inking means therefor, the top plate of the frame supporting the-same being removed. n

Fig. '13 is a left hand detail view of the supporting frame for` the dating device, part of the lribbon feeding means being removed.

Fig. 14 is a detail sectional view taken on the line lil-14 of Fig. 12 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 15 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 15-15 of Fig. 12 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 16 is a right hand side elevation of the frame supporting the dating device.

Fig. 17 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the line 17 17 of Fig. 12 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 18 is a detail view of the turn but l ton or disk for adjusting the year date wheel.

' Fig. 19 is a perspective view of one of the desks supporting two lof the switchboards at the credit station. Y

Fig. 20 is a detail top plan view of the section of a credit mans switchboard, carrying the-white line lamps and the line jacks.

Fig. 21 is a detail sectional-view taken on line 21-21 of: Fig. 23and looking in the direction ofthe arrows.

Figs. 22 and 23 are detail front views of the section of the credit mans switchboard shown .in Fig. 18 partly broken away. In

Fig. 23 the transfer key is shown in normal position and in Fig. 22 in operated fer position. s Y

Fig,y 24 is a detail rear view, partly broken away, of the section of theswitchboard, shown in Figs.22 and 23.

Figs. 25,26,l 27 and 28 are enlargeddetail viewsof one of the line jacks on'a credit mans switchboard. show the condition ofthe jack when vthe or transof the alphabet.

Figs. 25 andv 26' plug is not inserted andthe transfer key is in normal and operated positions respec- Y device are provided at eachV clerks station.V

When credit is to be asked forY a customer the clerk presses a key to call the credit man handling the credit account of the customer. Depressionof the key noties the credit man that his attention is desired by -a lamp signal,as shown in the particular embodiment. The credit man connects his telephone set with that of the clerks and then rings the clerk to indicate that he is ready to be communicated with. The clerk then removes her telephone from the hook andreads the amount of the sale and name of the customer desiring credit and if such credit is to be given the credit man operates a switch controlling the stamping device at the clerks station to make an impression on the sales slip, thereby authorizing the credit.y If, however, credit is not to be given the credit man can communicate over the telephone with the clerk and give whatever instructions are necessary such as a request that the customer call at the oflice.

In order that the detailed description which is to follow may be understood better a. general outline of the arrangement vand operation of the system as illustrated dia-Y grammatically in Fig. 29 will be given. It will be obvious that the arrangement shown in Fig. 29 is for illustrative purposes only,

the system being capable of meeting all demands and requirements of any mercantile establishment carrying on a credit business.

, Eight credit. men are employed at the cenis assigned ,certain letters of the alphabet,

in the credit file Vso that he handles calls from all of the clerks stations in his-division of the store, but only rfor his division Each stamping dev-ice is provided with a plurality of'keys, one for each credit man in the division ofthe store in which the stamping device isY located.

Each switchboard comprises two rows of differently colored line lamps, preferablyY red and white, a row of line jacks, the telephone set, a stamp key for controlling the stamping devices, and a ring key for ringing the clerks. The switchboards of the credit men taking care of one of the divisions of the store are arranged in pairs, that is, the switchboards are so electrically connected that all of the calls ordinarily handled at one of the switchboards of the pair can normally be handled at the other switchboard and vice versa. iVhen a clerk depresses one ot' the keys on the stamping device a white line lamp on the switchboard of the desired credit man is lighted as well as the corresponding red line lamp on the other switchboard of the pair. These lamps, when lighted, indicate the particular clerks stations calling. Ordinarily a credit man answers only the calls shown by the white lamps; however, if not busy he may also answer calls shown by the red lamps and in this way assist the credit man at the other switchboard of the pair when the latter credit man may have an unusual rush of business to handle.

When a credit man is olf duty or temporarily absent from his switchboard the credit man at the other switchboard of the pair may 'take care of all the Calls received at the two switchboards by answering all the calls shown by both the red and white line lamps, or the credit man when he leaves may close a switch by a key, called the connecting key herein, so that the credit man at the same desk may handle all of the calls received on both switchboards of the desk. In the latter case the credit man remaining on duty answers the calls for the clerks stations in both divisions of the store but only for his section or division of the alphabet.. This he does by inserting plugs in the line jacks on both switchboards and using the telephone set and stamping and ringing keys at one switchboard only. By answering the calls indicated by both the white and red lamps on the switchboard of a desk the credit man may handle during slack business hours, all of the calls ordinarily handled at four switchboards if the connetting key is operated at the desk at which he is handling the calls. In this way two credit men are able to handle all of the calls on Jthe eight switchboards when the other credit men are absent.

Two credit men, as above stated, may handle at two desks all of the calls ordi narily handled by the eight credit men but it is clear that when only one credit man is on duty it would be difficult aud tedious for hina to handle all the calls on the switchboards of two desks which would be the case it the connecting keys on the two desks were operated and the credit man answered the calls indicated by both the red and white lamps on the four switchboards on the desks.

Means are provided therefore 'tor trans'lirring or switching the calls from a switchboard on one desk to a. switchboard on another desk so that all of the calls can be handled by a credit man at one desk. In this way the calls received and answered on the switchboards ot two desks can be transferred to the switchboards on another desk and then it the connecting key on the latter desk is depressed the credit man at this lat-- ter desk can answer all ot the calls indicated by the red and white lamps.

(lZer/cs dep/one cmd Stamping device.

The clerks telephone comprises a transmitter 30 (Fig. 1) and a receiver both et which are mounted on a hand grip 34. The clerks telephone is hung on a hook 35 which is pivoted on a bracket 36 F 5 and 1l.) fast on the cabinet 37 of the stamping device. The right hand end of the receiver hook 35 provided with a recess through which projects a pin 82 on a bar 3S slidably mounted on the cabinet 37. ifhen the telephone is removed from the hook 3:3 a spring 239 interposed between the hook and a pin ou the cabinet, rocks the hook clockwise, thereby loweringl the bar 3S which is employed to limit movement ot the hook.

Keys t() (Figs. l, T and 10) assigned to the various credit men at the credit station, are r-:lidably mounted on a trame -t-l rast on the cabinet ot the machine. Six .keys #l0 are shown iu the figures, but the number maiY be varied.l according to the number of credit meu employed. The lower ends ot' the keys 40 are slidably mounted in a bar t tast on the frame i3 and the keys carry pins 45 projecting through slots -l-G (Fig. Y) iu the tramo e3. Springs 4T, (Figs. 6 and l0) coiled about thc key shanks and compressed between the bar /-l and shoulders on the keys, serve to retain the keys in normal undepresscd position and to restore the keys to this position when they are released. Vllhen a key is depressed its` pin 45 engages the inclined edge of a corresponding shoulder t9 (Fig. (l) on a detent SO therebj.Y raising the detent until the pin -l has passed out ci? eugagement with and beneath the inclined e ot the shoulder --l-.Ll when u spring (Fig restores the detent to normal position there moving the shoulder 49 over the pin /l-i? on the depressed key to lock the latter in de.- pressed position. The detent 50 provided with slots 54e tlufongh which pins 52 (Figs. 3 and 6) on the 'trame #13 project, the detent being mounted slidably in this manner. The spring 53 (Fig. T) is inter-postal hetweei'i a piu which projects trom the dcteut 5() through a slot 56 in the 'traine 423, and a piu on the frame 43.

The upper end ot' the detent 50 is provided with a projection 57 (Figs. 6 and 7) which engages a beveled edge 58 ou the receiver hook 35 so that when the receiver hook is raised upon removal of the clerks telephone the detent 50 is raised to release the depressed key. It is understood, or" course, that the spring 39 (Fig. 11) is stronger than the spring 53 (F ig..7 so that when the receiver hook is raised the spring 39 the detent is raised against the action of the spring 53.

A rigid contactl 60 (Fig. 7) and three spring contacts 61, 62 and 63 are mounted on the frame 43 and the contacts 60 and 61v are normally in engagement. A pin 64 of insulating material is slidably mounted on the contacts 60, 61 and 62. Vhen the detent 50 is raised by the raising of the telephone hook 35 a pin 65 on the vdetent engages the pin 64 whereupon a shoulder on the pinV 64 moves the contact 61 out of engagement with the contact 60 and moves the three contacts 61, 62 and 63 into engagement with each other. Each key 40 carries apin 66 of insulating material (Fig. 10) which, when the key is depressed moves a contact 67 into'engage-l ment with a contact 68, a pair oithese contacts 67 and 68 being provided for each key.

The sales slip to be stamped is inserted under a frame 70 (Figs. 1, 3, 5, 12 and 16) in which are supported date wheels 73 (Fig. 12). The frame 70 is mounted on a plate 74 supported by brackets 7 (Fig. 5) iast on the cabinet 37. A platen lever 76 (Figs. 5, 8 and 9) is operated under the control of the credit man to carry the sales slip against the date type carriers 73, thel printing impression taken from the type carriers showing that the credit was authorized.V The platen lever 76 is loose on a cross rod 81 mounted on depending portions 77 of the Vplate 74 and its rear end is provided with an opening through which a pin 79 mounted in the upper end of a core of a solenoid 83 projects. The solenoid 83 is mounted on the depending portions 77 and 82 oi the| platev 74. When credit is to be extended the credit man energizes thel solenoid 83 whereupon the core 80 is drawn down to operate the platen lever 76 to make a printing impression on the sales slip from the date type carriers 73.

The downward movement of the core 80 is limited by engagement oi its lower end with V ally mounted on the platen lever 76 to rocky 12, 16, 17 and 18) having knurled ridges or Y iianges, are mounted onthe right hand ends of the sleeves 88. Thev disks 93 have lingers or tongues which project into slots formed in the sleeves 88 so that the disks may be slid on the sleeves and turn the latter. The' left hand face of each of the disks 93 is provided -withholes 94 in which a pin 95 projecting from thev right handface of the adjacent disk 93 is adapted to engage. The holes 94 in the left hand disk 93 are adapted to be engaged by the pin 95 projecting from the frame 7 0. A spring 97 is coiled about the rod 89 and vis compressed between the bracket 90 and a collar 98 fast on the rod 89. Mounted on the right hand end of the rod 89 is a disk 99'engaging in the corresponding depressed portion formed in the right `hand face of the Yright hand vdisk 93.

To illustrate the manner in which the date wheels are operated, assume that the months date Wheel and the tens of days date wheel are to be adjusted. The corresponding disks 93, that is, the two `right hand disks are slid Ytoward the right on the corresponding sleeves 88 together with the yrod 89, againstV which have been pulled out are rotated together to adjust the tens of Vdays wheel to the proper position. The tens of days disk 93is then slid back to normal position on its sleeve 818 thereby moving the hole 94 opposite the pin 95 in the units of days ydisk i over the pin vand disengagingthe pin 95 in the tens of days disk from a Vhole Vin the months disk. Then thev months disk is ad justed to the proper position and released, whereupon the spring 97 moves thefrod 89 and the months disk so that'one of the holes 94 in the latter engages over the pin 95'inV the tens of days disk. 4From 'the above description it can be seen that the adjusting disks 93 are normally locked against adjustment by the pins 95 and that it is necessary to adjust thedisks93 in succession Jfrom left to right.V The engagement of the holes 94 over the pins 95 insures eXact alinem'ent of the date wheels. Y

An inkingy ribbon 'V1-00 (Figs. A12, f4V and 15) passes from one roll 103 about, guide rollers 104 to a roll 105. vThe rolls 103 and 105 are mounted on shafts 106 supported in the sides of the frame 70 and the rolls are retained in proper positions on the shafts by springs 107 coiled about the shafts. Milled disks 103 (Figs. 7 and 12) are tast on the shafts 106 and serve to Vrotate the rolls 103 and 105 forward or backward as desired. livotally mounted on the traine 70 at the sides oi the milled disks 108 are retaining pawls 109 (Figs. 7, 12 and 13) having projections normally retained in engagement with the peripheries of the milled disks by a spring 101i. 1f the clerk presses his finger on one the milled disks in order to rotate it he will thereby move one of the pawls out of engagement with the other disk and as the disk which he rotates is engaged by the other pawl it is possible to rotate it only in the direction that the ribbon is wound on the respective roll.

An aim 115 (Figs. 3, -l and 8)- is pivotally mounted on the plate 74 and its lett hand end projects through a slot 116 in the plate '7st and into a groove 117 (Figs. a and 1d) formed in the rear wall of the trame 70. When the sales slip to be stamped is placed under the date type carriers 73 it engages the arm 115 and rocks it counter clockwise (Fig. Ll) thereby n'ioving a spring contact 118 (Figs. L1 and 5) into engagement with a contact 119 to close a circuit through a lamp at the credit mans station 'for the purpose of lighting the lamp to indicate that the sales slip is in position to be stamped. As the spring contact 118 retains the arm 115 in engagement with the sales slip it can beseen that this arm also serves to hold the slip in position to be stamped.

It is usual when the goods purchased are left hv the customer for delivery by the store to send a delivery slip with the goods to the delivery department, the delivery slip having the address and any other desired ini Lt'orination. In order to notify the delivery department the sale has been authorized, punching means is provided for pertorating the delivery slip. The delivery slip may be attached to the usual sales slip or it may be a separate slip in which case it is placed under the sales slip when inserted.

Punches 123 (Fig. 9) are mounted in a plate 1123 detachably mounted by a screw 1124i to a punch head 124 slidably mounted in a bushing 125 formed on the plate 174. The punch head 124 carries a pin projecting through a recess 126 formed in a lever 127 pivoted at 128 on the bushing 125. The pin 79 carried by the core 80 projects through a recess formed in the forward end of the levei' 127. It can be seen from this construction that when the solenoid 83 is energized to move the sales slip against the date type carriers 73 the punch head 124 is raised through the lever 127 to force the punches 123 through the delivery slip into holes formed in a die 129 (Figs. 8 and 9) thereby A box 130 the die 129 catches the perforating the delivery slip. (Figs. 1 and 5) is screwed on by a thumb screw 133 and punched pieces.

pends upon the volume ot redit businesstransacted. The circuits as .shown in Fig. 29 provide for four such desks.

Each switchboard comprises two rows of line lamps the lamps 136 in the upper row bein-g preferably red while the lamps 137 in the lower row are preterably white. Below each white l-amp is its corresponding line jack 138 (Figs. 22 and 23) through which line connections are made by the insertion of the credit mans plug 139 into sockets 11,0 formed in a 143 carrying the row of line jacks and the row of white line lamps 137. When a redit man is on duty he inserts his telephone plug of ordinary forni into a socket 14k-i; (Fig. 19) so that when he inserts his line plug 139 in to tlieline jack below a lighted lamp he will establish line connections between the clerks station 'calling and his own switchboard.

It is understood, of course, that there is one line ack for each clerks telephone and stamping device in the corresponding divi sion of the store. For example, if but two switchboards are employed, lines from certain clerks stations terminate in one switchboard and the lines from the other clerks stations terminate in the other switchboard so that each of the two credit men handles calls only7 from certain clerks stations. Ot course, it it is desired, the electrical connections may be arranged so that each credit man handles calls from all of the clerks stations in the store but only for one division of the alphabet.

lf more than two switchboards are provided each credit man is assigned certain letters of the alphabet and takes care of all the. calls from all the clerks stations in one division of the store` but only for his particular division of the alphabet. ln such case the switchboards of the credit men laking care of one division of the store are arranged in pairs or multiple so that when a white line light 137 on one switchboard is lighted the corresponding red line lamp 136 on the other switchboard of the pair is lighted. and vice versa. A credit man can llien answer the calls indicated by either the red or the white line lamps by inserting his plug 139 into the corresponding line ack.

When a credit man desires to notify a clerk that lie is ready to be communicated with he presses his ring key 146 thereby causing the diaphragm of the clerks telephone receiver to vibrate or hum. The clerk then lifts lier telephone from its ,hook and communicates with the credit man. )Vlien the clerk inserts the sales slip into position to be stamped the contacts 118 and 119 (Fig. 5) are moved into engagement to close a circuit through a lamp 147 thereby notifying the credit man that the slip is in position to Y phone sets, ring' the clerks bythe correspond-y ing ring key 146 and operate the stamps by the corresponding stamp key 148. v

When a credit man leaves hisswitchboard he may depress the connecting key as above stated or pull out a transfer key 150 on hisv switchboard to transfer the calls from his.y switchboardv to another switchboard. .71n-

such case the white line lamps on the credit mans switchboard to which the calls are transferred are lighted whenever the clerks attempt to call the credit man at the switchboard .from which the calls are transferred.

The credit man at the switchboard to which the calls are transferred can then handle the calls at his own switchboard. The effect of pressing the connecting key 149 or pulling out the transfer key 150 will be understood better from a description of the circuits which is to follow presently. Y

The line jacks 138 and the transfer key A-"llwill now be described in detail so that a description of the electrical circuits will be understood more readily. Each line jack 138 (Figs. 22, 23, 25, 26, 27 and 28) comprises seven spring contacts 152V to- 158 inclusive mounted in the frame 143. Normally the line jacks are in the condition shown in Fig. 25, the contacts 154 and 155 being the only contacts in engagement. When the plugy 139 (F ig's. 22 and is inserted into a jack the sleeve 160`of the plug contacts with the spring152 and the point 163 of the plug engages the contacts 153 and 158. The con- Y tact 158 normally engages a pin 164 of insulating material on the contact'155 therebv normally retaining the contacts 154 and in engagement. When the plug 139 is inserted movement of the contact 158 permits the contact 155 to move out of eHQRQ'GmfR-J with the contact 154. i i

` toward the right.

167 slidably inounted'on the frame-143 the frame being provided with screws 169 which project through slots in the plate. The plate 167 is provided with downwardly extending projections 170 engaging blocks 173 of ,in.

sulating material on the Ycorresponding contact-s 157 which tend to move the plate 167 When the transfer key 150 isdrawn out from 'its normal (Fig. 23) to its transfer position (Fig. 22) its conical portion 165 moves the plate 167 toward the left against the action of the contacts Y157 to the position shownin Figs. 22 and 26. VA pin 172 of insulating material is mounted in the contacts 153 to 157 inclusive and is Vso constructed that when the contact 157 .is moved by movement of the transfer plate 167 to transfer position the contact 154 is moved out of contact with the contact 155 and theY 4contact 157 is moved into engagement with the contact 156.

After the transfer key is drawn' out to transfer position the corresponding switchboard is not to be used. Fig.V 28 however, shows the plug 139 inserted into a line jack after the transfer key has been pulled out to transfer position in order to show that the condition of the line jack is not changed in case the credit man forgets to pull out the plug'139.

In order to aline thetransfer key in its normal and transfer positions .the lower V-.

shaped portion of a spring .175V (Figs. 22 and 23) onltheframe143 engages in one of the annular grooves 176 formed inthe transfer key when the transfer key is in one of its two positions. n l v vElectric circuits.

Y Illaving described in detail the mechanical construction of the clerks telephones and stamping devices and of the credit mens' switchboards the electrical circuits will now be described with particularfreference to the diagrammatic viewsv shown in Figs. 29 and 30. Reference may be hadA to Fig. 2 for a relative arrangement of the electrical connections at the stamping device and clerks more,` only two of the clerks telephones' For convenience the The telephone sets' and stami'iing devices are shown in this ligure. The credit men at the switchboards A, B, C and D normally handle all the calls from one-half of the clerks stations, including clcrks station X, and the other credit men at switchboards ll, F, (i and H handle all the calls from the other half of the clerks stations including the clerks station Y. The switchboards A and B, E and F', (j and D and G' and H are arranged in. pairs so that when a white line lamp 137 at one switchboard is lighted the corresponding red line lamp 136 at the other switchboard of the pair is lighted and vice versa.

For the sake of convenience the various corresponding connections (with the exception of the contacts) Vto the different switchboards are designated by the same reference numerals with the reference letters o, 5, c, (Z, e, f and g added, the reference letters being indicative of the switchboards to which the connections are appropriate. The like reference numerals for the corresponding electrical connections at the clerks stations have the reference letters @c and 7/ added so that the connections of the two stations are also readily distinguishable.

For the sake of illustration the various electrical connections and circuitsbetween clerks station X and switchboard B when the connecting key and transfer key at the latter switchboard are not operated will be described it being understood that the connections between any clerks station and a credit mans switchboard are similar under these conditions.

Line Sig/aal circuit.

When a clerk at station X desires to communicate with the credit man at switchboard B she presses the b key 40 thereby moving the contacts 67 and 68 into engagement, as above described, to close a circuit which is as follows: from the generator through the main positive wire, wire 180m, contacts 183 and 184, wire 182m common to the contacts 68, contacts 68 and 67 closed by the 7) key, wire 1857), wire 1865, white lamp 137, wire 1875, wire 188a7), contacts 155 and 154 of line jack fc at switchboard A, wire 18907), contacts 151iV and 155 of the line jack e at switchboard B. wire 190665 common to the contacts 155 at switchboard B, relay 1930]), wire 194%, thence through the main negative wire to the generator. The currentover this circuit lights the white .line lamp 13T appropriate to clerks station zu on the switchboard B to notify the credit man that communication is desired. 1t will be obvious that the red line lamp 136 on switchbeard .i arranged in multiple with the corresponding' white line lamp 137 on switchboard B as part of the current passes from wire 1855 through wire 182a, red lamp 136 at switchboard A, and wire 1876i to the wire 188cm. Therefore each time a white line lamp on switchboard B is lighted the corresponding red line lamp on switchboard A is lighted and vice versa.

lf desired, a buzzer 195 may be employed at each desk for use in case a credit man de sires to leave his switch-board temporarily or is engaged in correcting or marking the cards of the cedit index. The buzzer circuit includes the armature 196 of the relay 193655 which is energized lby the current over the line signal circuit to move the armature 196 into engagement with a contact 197. Vhen a buzzer key 198 (F igs, 19, 29 and 30) is depressed and retained in depressed position by a latch 1991 (Fig. 30), a contact 199 is moved into engagement with the contact 200 so that when the armature 196 is moved into engagement with the contact 197 a circuit is completed through the buzzer thus audibly calling the credit mans attention to the desire for communication. This circuit is as follows: from the generator through the main positive wire, wires 203, 204 and 20Mb, buzzer 195, wire 205cm, contacts 200 and 199, wire 206cm, contact 197, armature 196 of the relay 192mb, wire 194er?) and thence through the main negative wire to the generator.

Flash circuits.

When the goods purchased are to be taken by the customer it is necessary that the credit be authorized before the customer leaves with the goods, but in cases in which the goods are to be delivered it is not necessary in some cases that the customer wait until the credit has been authorized. It is therefore desirable that a credit man authorizes sales in which the goods are to be taken with the customer `before he authorizes sales involving delivery. Thereforel in order to notify the credit man when the customers wish to take the goods with them each of the clerks stamping devices is provided with a key 210 (Figs. 1 and 3) which, when depressed simultaneously with one of the keys L10, controls electrical connections which cause the corresponding white line lamp on the selected switchboard to flash.

The key 210 is constructed similarly to the keys 40 and is slidably mounted on the key frame 43 in the same manner, and when depressed is locked in depressed position by the detent 50. The key 210 carries a pin 213 (Fig. 3) which, when depressed moves a. contact l1-1 into engagement with the contact 184. and through a pin 215, slidably mounted on the contacts 183 and 184, moves the contact 183 out of engagement with the wire 225, relay 226, contact 224, armaturek contact 184 so that the above described signal circuit is not closed. When, however, one of the keys 40, for example, the 5 key is depressed with the key 210, another circuit is closed. This circuitkis as followst from the generator through the main positive wire, wire 216, relay 2 17, wire 218, wire 219, wire 220m, contacts214 and 184, wire 182x, contacts 68 and l67,'.wire 1855,

wire 1865, whiteV line lamp 137 on switchment with the contact 224 to close a circuit which is as follows: from the generator through the main positive wire, wire 216,

223, wire 227, thence through the main negative wire to the generator. TheA current passing through the relay 226 energizes the latter whereupon it attracts its armature 228 to move the latter into engagement with a contact 229.v It is obvious that a large part of the current now passes from the generator through the main positive wire, wire 216, Wire 225, contact 229', armature 228, wire 230, wire 233, wire 219 and wire 220m, the remainder of the circuit be-y ing the same as that described above as including the relay 217 and the line lamp 137 in series. The current which now passes through the line lamp is sufficient to' light it. Vhen part of the current passes through the contact 229 to the armature 228 the amount of current passing through the relay 217 is greatly reduced: so that its armature 223 moves out of engagement with the contact 224 thus opening the circuit through relay 226. The relay 226 is thereby denergized and its armature 228 moved out of engagement with the contact 229 to eX- tinguish the line lamp. It can be seen from the above description that the relays 217 and 226 are energized and then denergized one after the other and that each time the relay 226 is energized the. line lamp is lighted and each time the relay 226 isv deenergized the lamp is extinguished. In this.

manner the necessary pulsations of current over the circuit including the armature 228 and the line lamp. are caused to make the line lamp flash until the credit man inserts his plug 139 into the corresponding line jack,

The resistance of Ringing circuit.

l i W hen the credit man wishes to notify the clerk that he is ready to be communicated ring key 146. Insertion of the plug moves the contact 155 out of engagement with the ycontact 154 thereby opening the line signal circuit. Depression of the ringV key 146 closes a circuit over which the generator lcharges two condensers and energizes the electro-magnet of the clerks receiver, the

electromagnet being denergized when the deiisers discharge thereby energizing and Y denerg'izing the electro-magnet of the ref cei'yer to make the diaphragm click. It

can, therefore, be seen that as the diaphragm of the clerks receiver clicks each time thecondensers are charged and each time the condensers discharge the receiver makes a humming noisetoattract the clerks attention. f

The circuit through which the generator energizes the electro-magnet ofthe clerks receiver is as follows: vfrom the generator f wire 254, wire 2555, contacts 256 and 257 also moved into engagement by depression of the ring key, wire 2585 and thence through the main negative wire to the generator. The generator over Ythis circuit charges the condensers 243 and 251 andV causes the diaphragm of the clerks receiver VVto click. Y

.Fast on the armature sha-ft 260 (Fig. 29)

of the generator is a disk 263 having blocks 264 of insulating material embedded in its periphery. When brushesv 265 and 266 engage blocks264 current from 'the generator passes over the above described circuit.

lVhen the blocks 264 move out of engage-v ment with these brushes a short circuit through the disk 263 is completed and the condensers 243x and 251 discharge through vthis short circuit which is as follows: from the disk 263, brush 266, main positive wire, 

